REALTOR Safety is an Important Issue
LOUISIANA REALTORS • September 15, 2017
Louisiana REALTORS® wants REALTORS® to keep safety top of mind on the job by increasing knowledge
about the dangers, awareness
of surroundings and situations, and empowerment
to be cautious and stay safe. REALTOR® Safety not only pertains to physical self, but to your client's properties and most recently identity theft and Internet security.
Resources recently shared:
Phishing Smishing - How to Not Fall Victim to Scams
Smishing
is a new term used to describe using text messages to trick mobile users into handing over personal data, financial information, or even cash. Because email service providers like Google or Yahoo continue to develop new ways to combat spam and phishing, text scams are becoming more prominent with hackers.
REALTORS® are especially prone to this type of scam because mobile phone numbers are published in multiple places and hackers have found a way to intercept the transaction to gather financial information. Earlier this month NAR issued a scam alert
where members reported receiving a message asking for payment of a fine or a notification telling the recipient they have won a prize.
Urgent Alert: Sophisticated Email Scams Targeting the Real Estate Industry
Criminals are hacking into the email accounts of real estate agents or other persons involved in a real estate transaction and using information gained from the hack to dupe a party into a fraudulent wire transfer. The hackers often send an email that appears to be from an individual legitimately involved in the transaction, informing the recipient, often the buyer, that there has been a last minute change to the wiring instructions. Following the new instructions, the recipient will wire funds directly to the hacker’s account, which will be cleared out in a matter of minutes. The money is almost always lost forever. <<Read more from NAR>>
Phishing scams: Don’t let your clients get caught on the hook
Phishing and wire fraud
continue to present the biggest threats real estate agents
and their clients will face in 2017. Hackers have discovered a soft spot for committing financial fraud, and agents and our transactions are the bull’s-eye. As professionals, we need to do everything in our power to stop and prevent a single loss of our client’s purchase or sale proceeds. <<Read More from Inman>>(login required)
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From the Louisiana Department of Insurance: Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple joined Governor Jeff Landry and Senate Insurance Committee Chairman Kirk Talbot today to announce that Louisiana is investing an additional $20 million in Fortified homes, bringing the total amount invested in state Fortified projects this year to $100 million. Governor Landry announced that $20 million from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development will be transferred to the Louisiana Office of Community Development Restore Resilient Opportunities for Overhead Fortification (Restore ROOF) program to strengthen residential structures and reduce long-term disaster risk. Earlier this year, the Legislature passed a bill that allows $50 million in additional Katrina and Rita bond money from Louisiana Citizens Property Insurance Corporation to be added to the Department of Insurance’s Louisiana Fortify Homes Program (LFHP). Also beginning this year, LFHP is projected to receive approximately $30 million annually from taxes and fees the Louisiana Department of Insurance collects from the insurance industry. “Building stronger homes is a vital part of making homeowners insurance affordable in Louisiana,” said Commissioner Temple. “I appreciate Governor Landry’s leadership and support as we work with legislators like Chairman Talbot to make Louisiana a national leader in the adoption of Fortified roofs.” The Louisiana Department of Insurance (LDI) has finalized its promulgation of Regulation 136—Fortify Homes Premium Discounts. The purpose of Regulation 136 is to implement the statutory provisions set forth in La. R.S. 22:1483, et seq. , which require that all Louisiana property and casualty insurers provide premium discounts or insurance rate reductions for homes constructed or upgraded in accordance with the fortified standards created by the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety. View Regulation 136 here .
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Learn about common risks as a real estate agent and tips to stay safe during home showings.
